AXE® Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 AP Nov. 16: 1988: Radio commentator Paul Harvey, who died Saturday, and his wife, Lynne, hold a street sign bearing his name in Chicago. Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, FOX News has confirmed. He was 90. Harvey died surrounded by family at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a winter home, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks, where Harvey worked for more than 50 years. No cause of death was immediately available. Harvey had been forced off the air for several months in 2001 because of a virus that weakened a vocal cord. But he returned to work in Chicago and was still active as he passed his 90th birthday. His death comes less than a year after that of his wife and longtime producer, Lynne. "My father and mother created from thin air what one day became radio and television news," Paul Harvey Jr. said in a statement. "So in the past year, an industry has lost its godparents and today millions have lost a friend." Known for his resonant voice and trademark delivery of "The Rest of the Story," Harvey had been heard nationally since 1951, when he began his "News and Comment" for ABC Radio Networks. He became a heartland icon, delivering news and commentary with a distinctive Midwestern flavor. "He's bigger than anybody," former Arkansas governor and FOX News host Mike Huckabee said on "Geraldo at Large" late Saturday. "America trusted Paul Harvey." He said his passing leaves a hole that could never be filled. In 1976, Harvey began broadcasting his anecdotal descriptions of the lives of famous people. "The Rest of the Story" started chronologically, with the person's identity revealed at the end. The stories were an attempt to capture "the heartbeats behind the headlines." Much of the research and writing was done by his son, Paul Jr. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005. "Laura and I are saddened by the death of Paul Harvey," former President George W. Bush said Saturday night. "Paul was a friendly and familiar voice in the lives of millions of Americans. His commentary entertained, enlightened and informed. Laura and I are pleased to have known this fine man, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family." Harvey also blended news with advertising, a line he said he crossed only for products he trusted. However, it all started in 1933 when his radio career began at KVOO-AM in Tulsa while he was still in high school, his Web site said. He moved to Hawaii in 1940 to cover the U.S. Navy and eventually enlisted in the Army Air Corps, where h served until 1944. In 2000, at age 82, Harvey signed a new 10-year contract with ABC Radio networks. In addition to his unique voice and delivery, Harvey was credited with coining several words on his broadcasts, including "Reaganomics" and "guesstimate." Harvey was born Paul Harvey Aurandt in Tulsa, Okla. His father, a police officer, was killed when he was a toddler. A high school teacher took note of his distinctive voice and launched him on a broadcast career. While working at St. Louis radio station KXOK, he met Washington University graduate student Lynne Cooper. He proposed on their first date (she said "no") and always called her "Angel." They were married in 1940 and had a son, Paul Jr. They worked closely together on his shows, and he often credited his success to her influence. She was the first producer ever inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997, seven years after her husband was. She died in May 2008 after a year-long battle with leukemia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homz Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Harvey was classy. I don't necessarily agree with some of his points, but I liked his delivery. Sorry to see him go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badjuju342 Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Grew up with him and the hawking of Buicks plus Bose products . Rest in peace , Mr. Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSG_Standard Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Rest in Peace Paul Harvey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 The world we miss Paul Harvey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mick Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 One of the last voices from the golden era of radio. I can't tell you how many times I was sitting there waiting for the"rest of the story". I guess this is the end of the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Tari Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 So here's another Paul who's the Walrus. Been a while since I listened to his show, But when I did I enjoyed it. Till the next time Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Thanks Mr. Harvey... RIP And thanks for the post, Axe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosewoody Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 This is the loss of a steady voice in a sea of shouting heads. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromaj Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 RIP, Mr. Harvey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Theres a guy up here in the unemployment capital of the U.S.A. (Rhode Island) who, ironically, hawks Buicks for a local dealer on most of the F.M. stations up here who sounds dead-on like Paul Harvey, it's really quite scary. Yeah, I used to listen to him quite a bit when I was young and foolish. Did you guys know he also did shows on Shortwave too? That was the first time I ever heard the guy, and used to poke fun at his now famous pauses. Rock on Mr. Harvey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 A big loss. R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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